Checking device



May 3, 1960 J. T. svEc 2,934,948

CHECKING DEVICE Filed Dec. 8, 1955 a Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JERRY T.SVEC ATTORNEY J. T. SVEC CHECKING DEVICE May 3, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Dec. 8, 1955 M 5 Nm mvimon JERRY T. SVEC 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 J. T.SVEC CHECKING DEVIC INVENTOR JERRY T SVEC ATTORNEY May 3, 1960 FiledD60. 8, 1955 2,934,948 r CHECKING DEVICE Jerry T. Svec, Chicago, 111.,assignor, by mesne assignments, to Fairchild Camera 8; InstrumentCorporation, a corporation of Delaware Application December 8, 1955,Serial No. 551,844

3 Claims. (Cl. 73-456) This invention relates to composing systems andapparatus therefor and more particularly to checking devices forkeyboard perforators and counters used in the preparation of controlstrips for the automatic control of composing machines.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a verifying means,whereby a predetermined coincidence between two related conditions isconfirmed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for checking thecoding of the counting, control elements in a keyboard ,perforator andcounter. Composing machines of the linecasting type are -provided withmatrices which consist of small brass units carrying indented charactersor intaglios, and which vary in thicknessaccording to the width of thecharacter impressed thereon. matter is dependent not only upon thenumber of matrices. 7 included in the line but also upon the cumulativethick- The length of a line of composed nesses of the matrices composingthe line.

Matrices of the same style or font are stored in a matrix magazine, andthese matrix magazines are adapted ,to be utilized interchangeably inthe composing machine.

Corresponding matrices in the different fonts may vary in thickness;thus, 'lines of the same length but composed of a different style orfont of type will contain a different number of characters per line. Totake cognizance of these matrix thicknesses in preparing perforated tapeafor control'of composing machines, a perforator and counter of the typeshown in United States Patents Nos.

;2,05 9,250 and 2,080,424 is used; the latter patent dis- ,closing acounting magazine arrangement which may be interchangeable to correspondto each matrix magazine. A feature of the present invention is tofacilitate the expeditious checking of code elements in .the countingmagazines of perforators and counters of the type shown element with theproper keylever. With the'device of the present invention it is onlynecessary to strike each key once in the unshift position and oncein theshift position.

; After the key is depressed, the inspector checks the light i on thepanel board against the counting magazine specification chart. Below thelights on the panel board are the numerals indicating the unit count.

A more comprehensive understanding of the present invention may be hadfrom the following description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective representation ofthe-keyboard embracing the present invention; e

Each

ing pair of code bars.

2,934,940 Fatentecl May 3, 1960 ice Fig. 2 is a perspective view of thepanel board and copyholder associated-with the keyboard unit;

Fig. 3 is a sectional'view of the checking device show ing some of theelements comprising the contact assembly;

Fig. 4 is a perspective representation of the addedcount contactmechanism; and 2 Fig. 5 is a schematic circuit arrangement according tothe present invention.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters representthe same parts throughout the several views, Fig. 1 shows a keyboarddevice of the type shown in United States Patent No. 2,059,250 modifiedas shown in United States Patent No. 2,080,424 to include aninterchangeable code bar unit, and further modified to accomplish theobjects of the present invention. The device as illustrated in saidPatent No. 2,059,250 has been still further modified to omit thecounting unit, the scale mechanism and the perforating features.

Housed within the base 11 are a plurality of keylevers 12 which aremounted on a common pivot rod 20 and are upheld by springs (not shown)in well known manner. The keylevers 12 are provided with keys 13, andextend over a number of pairs of code bars 14 and 15 (Fig. 4) of aselecting unit 16 for controlling the contacts (as will presentlyappear) of a checking device, generally indicated as 17. The bars 14 and15 of each pair are supported (Fig. 4) by a pair of T-shaped rocker arms18 (one at each end), only one rocker arm being shown. Arms 18 haveoppositely oif-set lugs 19 which uphold the code bars 14 and 15respectively of the correspond- The rocker arms 18 of each pair of codebars are pivoted to and reciprocate a permutation bar 211, and thesebars 21 (comparable to bars 58, Fig. 4, of Patent No. 2,059,250) areconnected to individual Y-shaped members 22, Figs. 1 and 3 (comparableto Y-shaped members 59, Fig. 4, of Patent No. 2,059,250).

Interposed between the series of keylevers 12 and the .selector unit 16is a removable and interchangeable code bar unit or magazine indicatedgenerally by the numeral 23 which carries therein a plurality of pairsof codenotched slides or elements 24, all as more fully described insaid Patent No. 2,080,424.

One member of each pair of elements 24 is for upper case characters, andthe other is for lower case characters. In this manner, a pair ofcounting code elements are provided which is slidable vertically in acommon slot below each keylever. Thus, there is allotted to each of thekeylevers 12 a pair of code-notched slides or elements 24 which coactwith the pairs of code bars 14 and 15 of the selecting unit 16. When anykeylever 12 is depressed, the selector bars 14 and 15 will be moved inaccordance with the location of the projections 25 on the code elements24 to cause the movement of the permutation bars 21 in varyingpermutations. As more fully set forth in said Patents Nos. 2,059,250 and2,080,424,

the permutation bars 21 are operatively related to the bar of that pairin a reverse direction, and causes the bar 21 to be reciprocatedlongitudinally upon the alternate actuation of said pair of bars.

As previously mentioned, the arrangement according ,to the presentinvention is designed to give an instantaneous check of the associationof the proper element 24 with the proper keylever 12. To facilitate thechecking function, the slots in the interchangeable code bar unit arenumbered from left to right; for example, ,1 to 64, and to correspondtherewith the keys 13 .are also into the code notches.

numbered from 1 to 64; that is, the No. 1 key corresponds to the No. 1slot, etc. As more clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 7 of Patent No.2,080,424, and indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings herein, thedesignations 26 on the codenotched elements 24, which represent thenumber of units, or the unit-group, to which the characterrepresented'thereby belongs, are made in such manner that when the twocode-notched elements are assembled, the

lower case count may be read on the face of the front bar nearest to theleft end, and the upper case count may be observed on the face of therear bar through the window or aperture 27 in the front bar. As statedin Patent No. 2,080,424, the advantage of providing the countingcodenotched elements in pairs resides in the fact that these elementsmay be reversed end for end, either jointly or individually, and maythus be utilized in one position for upper case counts, and in reversedposition for lower count pertaining to the pair of elements 24 in upperand lower case.

As previously mentioned, the Y-shaped members 22 are positioned inaccordance with the operation of the permutation bars 21 and willcontrol the setting of a plurality of notched discs 29, forming pait ofthe checking device 17. Individual to each of the members 22 and notchedcode discs 29 is a transfer lever 31 which is pivotally mounted on a rod32, journalled in a bracket 33 (Fig. 3) which is rocked in proper timedrelation, through the coaction of a cam follower (not shown) andoperating cam 34 mounted on the operating shaft 35 (Fig. 1), in a mannerdescribed in said patent, to reciprocate the transfer levers 31vertically. Power is applied to shaft 35, in well known manner, by amotor 30 unit 23, 'thecorresponding keylever number and the unit 7mounted on the housing 11. For each operation of the bracket 33, thetransfer levers 31 will be moved into operative relation with theY-shaped levers 22; that is,

whether the members 22 are swung to the right or left as viewed in Fig.1, the transfer levers 31 will engage or be free of the upper end ofY-shaped members 22 to cause the code discs 29 to be rocked in either aclockwise or a counterclockwise direction; With the Y-shaped members 22operated in varying permutations in accordance with the movement of thepermutation bars 21, the discs 29 will likewise be rotated in varyingpermutations and will correspondingly cause the alignment of the variousgroups of notches formed in the periphery of the.

discs.

Cooperating with the notches of the. discs 29 are a plurality of rodmembers or contact controllers 36, there being a rod member individualto each set of code notches (when aligned) and arranged withanti-friction rollers 37. Rod members 36 are mounted in peripheralnotches in a fulcrum disc 38 and are held therein by a garter spring 39,so that the rod members 36 are thus pivotally related to said disc 38.Each of the rod members 36 is centripetally biased by an individualspring 41. In this manner, the rod members 36 normally tend to moveradially toward a common center into the code notches of the discs 29,but inasmuch as the code notches are arranged so that for each settingof the discs only one group of code notches will be in transversealignment, only one of the rod members 36 at a time will be moved Also,the code notches in the discs 29 are arranged so that when the discs aremoved for a subsequent selection, the previously'selected rod 4 member36 will be cammed outwardly against the action of its associated spring41.

Each of the rod members 36 is provided with an extension or tail portion42. Individually associated with each rod member 36 is a contactassembly 43. Contact assemblies 43 are arranged concentrically withrespect to rod members 36 and are mounted on the periphery of a circularmember 44 secured on shaft 45 of the checking device 17. Each of thecontacts 48 of the assemblies 43 comprise a pair of yieldable blades 46and 47, the blade 47 of which carries at its extremity an adjustablescrew member 40 adapted to coact with the extension 42 of its associatedrod member 36.

As is known in the art to which the present invention pertains, each ofthe rod members 36 is assigned to one of the unit-groups into which afont of type is divided. In the design of fonts of type eachcharacter isassigned to a certain definite unit-group; for example, the widestcharacters may be divided into eighteen units, and fourteen groupingsmay be established on the basis of unit sizes ranging from 5 units to 18units, inclusive. In the l8-unit system, 18 units are equivalent to theset or em quad size of the font of type. The lower case a would, forexample, be assigned to group 11 regardless of the font or style oftype, signifying that a lower case a" is 11 units in width, a unit beingnot a fixed dimension but merely a proportion of the quad size in theparticular font of which it is a part.

Experience has demonstrated that a very large number of fonts cannot beclassified in accordance with an 18- unit system. However, nearly allfonts canbe classified by using a system of 32-units where the em-spaceis 32-units in thickness and in which all the other matrices range from5 to 32 units in thickness. With this system employing a greater numberof units more accurate grouping of the various characters of a font oftype can be attained, and hence more accurate counting or totalizing-ofthe thicknesses of the matrices composed in a line can beachieved.

According to the present invention, an auxiliary contact device 51 isprovided to supplement the operation of the checking device 17 when theunit counts identified with certain elements 24 range above the 18-unitcount to and including 32-units. In other words, the checking device 17in its control of the panel board 52 (Fig. 2), as will hereinafterappear, may have its action modified under certain conditions where anincreased count is required.

Having reference to Fig. 4, the actuation of bars 14 and 15 by means ofa keylever'12 through a codenotched element 24 having a code projection25 therefor will cause, through a rocker arm 18, thelongitudinalreciprocation of permutation bar 54, depending upon Whether or not it isdesired to operate the auxiliary contact device 51. Bar 54 is pivotallyarticulated to the depending arm of a lever 55 carried on the pivotshaft 56 common to the Y-shaped levers 22. The'upper end of lever 55 isconnected pivotally to one end of a con-' necting link 57, the other endof which is'articulated to one arm of a bell crank lever58 mountedpivotally at 59 on the housing 11. The other arm of lever 58 cooperateswith a contact assembly 61 carried on the bracket 62 of the auxiliarycontact device 51. When it is desired to do so the bar 14, associatedwith the auxiliary contact device 51, is depressed to the position shownin Fig.4; whereupon the permutation bar 54 has assumed its rightwardposition and lever 55 its counterclockwise position, link 57 itsleftward position, and bell crank 58 its counterclockwise position toclose the contact 63 of the contact assembly 61.

As disclosed in said Patent No. 2,059,250, a keylever 12 operates,simultaneously with the operation of the selector bars 14 and 15 of theselector mechanism 16,

a universal bar (not shown), which trips a clutch 64 to spasms s whichis permitted to make one-half revolution for each cycle of operation ofthe. apparatus.

Also carried on the sleeve65 is a cam 66 which con- 7 trols the shiftingof the code bar unit 23 in the manner disclosed in United States PatentNo. 2,562,737. Briefly, the bar 68 which carries at its end apair ofattrahently biased pawls 69 and 7'1 which cooperate selectively with apair of shift members '72 and 73, depending upon the position of arm 74of lever 75, to effect through arms 76 and 77 the clockwise orcounterclockwise rotation of a shift lever 78 pivoted at 79. As fullydescribed in said Patent No. 2,562,737, the lever 78 controls theshifting of the code unit 23 forwardly to one case position andrearwardly 'to the other case position. A certain keylever 12 isassigned to letters shift, and another keylever is assigned to figuresshift, so that upon the operation of these keylevers, the bell cranklever 81 is rocked about its pivot 82 to elfect a corresponding rotationof lever 75 about its pivot 83 to cause arm 74 to bring pawls 69 and 71selectively into cooperative relation with shift members 72 and '73.

The electrical circuit for the checking device according to the presentinvention is shown in Fig. 5. The lower blades 47 (Fig. 3) of contactassemblies 43 are connected over common conductor 84 (Fig. 5) to asource of current 85. The upper blades 46 of said contact assemblies areseverally connected over individual conductors 86 to lamps 87 on thepanel board 52. As shown in Fig. 1, the conductors 86 are assembled in acable 88 leading from the checking device 17. (Fig. 1) to the panelboard 52' (Fig. 2). Upon the depression of a keylever 12 a contact 48,identified with the unit count assiged to code-notched element 24associated with said keylever, will be closed to establish a circuit fora corresponding one of the lamps 87, said circuit extending from oneside of the source of power 85, over common conductor 84, through closedcontact 48, over the corresponding individual conductor 86 to said oneof Owing to the fact that the bars 14 and 15 have no normal position,but remain in their last set position until their position is altered bya subsequent code, the lamp 91 remains lighted as long as the bar 15associated with the auxiliary contact device 51 is in its lowermostposition.

Thus, so long as keylevers are depressed relating to counts over 18units, the lamp 91 will remain lighted. Conversely, so long as keyleversare depressed relating to counts of 18 units and under, the lamp 91 willnot be lighted. As is well known, certain of the elements 24 areidentified with functions; such as, elevator, upper rail, lower rail,shift andunshift etc, have no unit count. Accordingly, to accommodatethis condition, a contact 48 (marked F? in Fig. 5) is provided, whichwhen closed, will complete a circuit over its associated conductor 86 tolight the lamp 92, under which (on panel board 52) is the legend F.

In the operation of the checking arrangement according to the presentinvention, a counting magazine specification chart 28 (Fig. 2) isprepared for each font of type and secured to the copyholder portion 93of the panel board 52. In said specification, the numbers are arrangedfrom 1 to 60 (for example), and opposite each number is given thecharacter (alphabetical, numerical, punctuation marks, etc.) with theunit count belonging to each character. Now, it is presumed that theproper code-notched elements 24 have been placed in theproperly numberedslots to agree with the proper numbered ment 24 pertainingthereto musthave been inserted in the lamps 87, then over return conductor 89 to theother side of the source of power 85. The lighted lamp 87 will thenindicate the unit group identified with the keylever that has beendepressed.

It is noted that there are two rows of numbers below the lamps 87,wherein the upper row is'identified with groups 5 to 18, and the lowerrow is identified with groups 19 to 32, inclusive.

To inform the operator as to which group reading is applicable, the lamp91 is provided, which when extinguished indicates that the upper rowreading should be used, and when illumihated, as will presently appear,indicates that the lower row of numbers should be used. To facilitatethe reading of the group numbers, the present embodiment of theinvention contemplates that the lamp 91 be colored red and the remaininglamps 87 be colored white. Moreover, the upper row of numbers may beprinted in black, while the lower row of numbers together with thelegend Use Red Figs, under the lamp 91, be printed in red.

As previously mentioned, the auxiliary contact device 51 is employed tosupplement the operation of the checking device 17 when unit countsrange above the 18- unit count. Thus, when a keylever 12, identifiedwith a unit count above 18 units, is depressed, a contact 48 is closed,as previouslydescribed, and simultaneously 1 therewith the contact 63 ofthe auxiliary contact device 51 is also closed, due to the presence of asuitably located code projection 25, on element 24, for controlling theoperation of the auxiliary contact device 51, as previouslydescribed.So, upon the closure of contact 48, a circuit is completed, aspreviously traced, to illuminate the selected lamp 87. At the same time,the contact 63 is closed to complete a circuit to illuminate the lamp 91extending from source of current 85 over common conductor 84, throughcontact 63, over conductor 90, through lamp 91 and over common returnconductor 89 to the other side of the source of power 85.

the No. .19 slot in said unit 23. Also, assuming that the letter D is 10units inwidth, then when the No. 19 keylever of the device shown in Fig.l is depressed, the lamp 87 over the numeral 10 on the panel board 52,shown in Fig. 2, will be lighted, thus confirming the predeterminedcoincidence between the proper element 24 and the proper keylever 12.If, on the other hand, the wrong lamp 87 is lighted, then the Operatoris apprised that an I errorv has occurred in the placement of theelement 24 in the unit 23.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in connection with aperforator and counter, it is, of course, understood that the inventionis capable of embodiment in applications other than that specificallydisclosed without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed'is: Y

1. In a checking device for checking code bar units having a pluralityof pairs of interchangeable codenotched elements, a code disc selectorhaving a plurality of code discs peripherally notched in accordance witha permutation code, a plurality of contact devises cooperable with thenotched peripheries of said discs, each contact device operatedselectively pursuant to the occurrence of an alignment of notchescorresponding thereto in said discs, a plurality of key levers, apermutation code selecting mechanism comprising a plurality ofperinutatively settable bars cooperably related to said code discs,

means for positioning a detachable and interchangeable code bar unit tobe checked between said 'key levers and said bars with each of saidpairs of code-notched elements operatively interposed between said barsand one of saidkey levers, each said pair having a predetermineddimensional characteristic related to the particular keylever with whichit is intended to'be associated, means for effecting a relative shiftingmovement between said code-notched elements and said bars whereby saidcontact devices may be operated according to one or the other element ofeach pair of elements, indicating means adapted in response to theselective actuation of the key levers to give an indication of theexistence of said predetermined dimensional characteristic relation, andcircuits controlled by said contact devices for efiectuating theoperation of said indicating means, whereby said pre determined relationbetween said key levers and said code-notched elements is confirmed. w

In a checking device for checking code bar units having a pluralityofpairs of interchangeable codenotched elements, a code disc selectorhaving a plurality of code discs peripherally notched in accordance witha, permutation code, a plurality of contact devices c operable with thenotched peripheriesof said discs, each contact device operatedselectively pursuantto the occurrence of an alignment of notchescorresponding thereto in said discs, a plurality of key levers, apermutation code selecting mechanism comprising a plurality ofpermutatively settable bars cooperably related to said code discs, meansfor positioning a detachable and interchangeable code bar unit to bechecked between said key levers and said bars with each of said pairs ofcode-notched elements operatively interposed between said bars and oneof said key levers, each said pair having a predetermined dimensionalcharacteristic related to the particular: key lever with which it isintended to be associated,

means for effecting a relativeshifting'movement between saidcode-notched elements and said barswhereby said contact devices may beoperated according to cheer the other element of each pair of elements,an additional contact device controlled by certain of said key leversjointly with said plurality of contact devices, indicating means adaptedin responseto the selective actuation of the key levers to give anindication of the existence of said predetermined dimensionalcharacteristic relation, andcircuits controlled by said contact devicessingly and jointly for effectuating the operation of said indicatingmeans,

whereby said predetermined relationbetween said key levers and saidcode-notched elements is confirmed.

3. In a checking device for checking code barunits having a v pluralityof pairs of interchangeable codenotched elements, a codedisc selectorhaving a plurality of code discs peripherally notched in accordancewitha permutation code, a primary contact mechanism comprising a pluralityof contact devices cooperable with the notched peripheries of saiddiscs, each contact device operated selectively pursuant to theoccurrence of an alignment of notches corresponding "thereto in saiddiscs, a plurality of key levers, a permutation code selecting mechanismcomprising a plurality of permutatively settable bars cooperably relatedto said code discs, means for positioning a detachable andinterchangeable code bar unit to be checked between said key levers andsaid bars with each of said pairs of code-notched elements opera tivelyinterposed between said bars and one of said key levers, each said pairhaving a predetermined dimensional characteristic related to theparticular key lever with which it is intended to be associated, meansfor efiecting a relative shifting movement between said code-notchedelements and said bars whereby said contact devices may be operatedaccording to one or the other element of each pair of elements, asecondary contact mechanism controlled by certain of said key leversjointly with said primary contact mechanism, indicating means adapted inresponse to the selective actuation of the key levers to give anindication of the existence of said predetermined dimensionalcharacteristic relation, and circuits controlled by said contactmechanisms singly or jointly for etfectuating the operation of saidindicating means, whereby said pretermined relation between the keylevers and said code-notched elements is confirmed.

, References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSLarson et a1. May 18,1937 Goedeke Sept. 16, 1952 j 2,080,424 astens

